Yarn Along - Afghans

Okay, so I think I mentioned that I am working on some afghans for the older girls but I never said what they were.  For Star I am making the above rainbow ripple using the Neat Ripple pattern by Lucy at Attic 24.  The yarn I am using is Bernat Satin.

Sky picked out the colors for her afghan (below).  Her afghan will be an assortment of different crochet squares. I am following along with little bird knits as she posts a new square each week.  I am using Sheep(ish) yarn for this one.

As I said before these will be year long projects that I will work on here and there as I get a chance.  I hope to give them to the girls for Christmas.

I am still reading Raising Happiness by Christine Carter and for a light fiction read I am enjoying The Tutor`s Daughter by Julie Klassen.

Yarn Along: Car Case and Airplane

For LK's birthday the older girls and I made him this little tote to keep his matchbox cars in.  Last Thursday the buses didn't run due to a windchill factor of -45*C so they got to stay home from school and do some crafting.  We loosely followed this tutorial to make the car case and LK seemed to like it.

And here is the completed toy airplane I crocheted for him.

That`s all for today.  Oh I am re-reading A Mother`s Rule of Life and getting a lot out of it.  Even if you don`t create a formal Rule for yourself there is a lot of good info in there.

Yarn Along; Kerchiefs and some squares.

Yarning along once again on this blustery Wednesday with Ginny over at Small Things.  I have continued to work on a few small projects.  This week it was kerchiefs to keep my hair out of my face.  The purple one is the Lacy Crochet Kerchief by Kristen TenDyke and the red and blue one is the Winged Hair Kerchief by Jessica Silfa.

Then I started playing around with some squares from The Granny Square Book by Margaret Hubert.  I plan to use these to make some bags for the girls.

Not much other reading has been happening here because I have some sad news.  The touch screen on my Kobo Touch has stopped working.  It is very sad. I really liked having an e-reader so I would like to replace it at some point in the future.  I having been looking at the various options out there and I am really not sure what would be the best one to get.  Most of the e-books I did read came from our local library which I believe only supports Kobo and the Sony e-reader.  I do hear you can get a lot of free books for the Kindle as well and that seems to be the best and most popular e-reader.  What would you pick?  Does anyone have the Sony e-reader and what do you think of it?  Any advice and opinions are welcome.

Yarn Along: Headbands, Mitts and an Airplane

On this chilly Wednesday I am once again joining Ginny for Yarn Along.  This past week I finished crocheting some headbands and mittens for the girls to wear during skating.

Then I started this toy airplane for LK's 3rd birthday.  (I must say I can't believe that my little boy is almost 3.  Time is going way too fast.)

I like crocheting small projects like this that finish up quickly and give you a sense of accomplishment but I am thinking it is time to tackle a large project again.  I think an afghan may be in my future.  I have been waiting to see if Bernat is hosting a Mystery Afghan KAL/CAL again as I enjoyed doing the one last year.  Also I noticed that Bernat is hosting a Temperature Scarf CAL/KAL which I am tempted to join in on.

I haven't been doing much reading lately (other than blogs).  I am slowly working my through 

More Than a Bucket List: Making Your Dreams, Passions, and Faith a Reality.   

That's all for today. Happy Wednesday everyone.

Book Review: Heart of Gold

Today I am reviewing Heart of Gold by Robin Lee Hatcher.  It is a historical novel set in 1864.  The main character Shannon Adair is a bit of a spoiled Southern girl with a good heart.  In Virginia she found her place nursing injured soldiers back to health.  But her father, a minister, has been called to lead a church in Idaho.  Shannon resents being forced to move to the rough and wild west.  Meeting Wells Fargo stagecoach driver Matt Dubois does nothing to change Shannon's low opinion of Idaho.  While he is handsome Shannon judges him to be rude and ignorant.  However, Matt's widowed sister is dying and Shannon finds herself nursing and caring for her and her son.  In this wonderful christian story Shannon learns forgiveness and how to love others with a heart of gold.  God has had a plan for her all along.

I enjoyed this well written book and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of this genre (christian historical romance).  In fact after reading this book I went out and picked up some other novels by Robin Lee Hatcher and I enjoyed them all.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Yarn Along: Christmas Gifts

Joining in (a day late) with Ginny's yarn along to share some of the crocheted Christmas gifts I made this year.

Sky received a Saint Elizabeth doll (along with a book and prayer card).

Star received with a Saint Therese doll (also with a book and a prayer card).

I made a ruffle scarf for my new mother in law using Red Heart sashay yarn.

And for my mom I made the Claudia scarf.

My brother got a can cozy in his football teams colors.

Last but not least the Godmothers of my children got cross bookmarks.

Currently I am working on another ruffle scarf for my hubby's mom and I am reading Radical Homemakers by Shannon Hayes.

Yarn Along

It has been quite some time since I shared some crochet with you all. Here are some of the projects I have finished in the past few months.

For Star's 11 birthday she received a crochet skirt and hat.  The skirt pattern is Andalucia by Deanne Ramsey.  It was quite simple and features an elastic waist which is nice as you don't have to get the sizing exactly right.  The matching hat is called Gypsy Girl and is a free pattern.

 

This cute tea set is from the book Amigurumi Two, Crocheted Toys for Me, You and Baby Too by Ana Paula Rimoli.  It turned out pretty nice but I would make the cups a little smaller next time.

 

 

This cute bonnet type hat for LT is Nasturtium by Caitlin Pensak.  I liked the front post, back post ribbing around the face.  It was the first time I had ever done post stitches.

 

And my last finished object was this baby cardigan.  It is from the Craftsy class Crochet: Beyond Rectangles.

 

 

This is a photo of my WIP.  It is the Tulips Hat and Scarf pattern.

 

Currently I am reading An Everlasting Meal Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler.  It is quite interesting.  It is not a recipe book per say (although it does have some recipes in it.) but more of a how to cook book.  The other book I am reading is Sarah's Quilt: A Novel of Sarah Agnes Prine and the Arizona Territories by Nancy E. Turner.  I saw another yarn alonger reading this trilogy and thought it looked interesting so I requested it from my local library.  I am enjoying these books, however I found the beginning of These is my Words (the first book in the trilogy) a little depressing at the start because there was a lot of deaths.  The pioneers sure had to endure a lot. 

From the book description:

 

In These Is My Words, Sarah Agnes Prine told the spellbinding story of an extraordinary pioneer woman and her struggle to make a home in the Arizona Territories. Now, in this mesmerizing sequel, a three-year drought has made Sarah desperate for water. And just when it seems that life couldn't get worse, she learns that her brother and his family are trapped in the Great San Francisco Earthquake. A heartwarming blend of stubbornness and compassion, Sarah Agnes Prine will once again capture the hearts of readers everywhere.

Show More

Show Less

 

 

Well that is all for today. For more yarn and reading inspiration head over to the Small Things blog.

 

 

 

 

Yarn Along: Beach Bag, Jar Cozy, Mystery Afghan

It has been a while since I did a blog post but I decided to hop on the computer today and join in Ginny's yarn along.  Since it has been a little while I have a few things to share.

First up I made this simple jar cozy for a canning jar I am using as a water bottle.  I know that I haven't been drinking enough water lately so hopefully having this colourful drinking container will encourage me to drink water throughout the day.

Next up is this market bag (that I am planning on using as a beach bag) that I first shared with you all here.  It turned out nice and I think it will come in handy.  It is quite large and it will stretch to hold quite a bit.  I didn't make the pouch as I didn't need it in this case but I am thinking of making some more of these to actually use as market bags and I will make them with the pouch. 

And lastly I have finally finished my Bernat Mystery Afghan.  It came together quite nicely.  And whilel I was dreading seaming it all together it really wasn't all that bad.  It took a little while (and of course it was less portable at that stage) but I eventually got it done.

LT seems quite happy with her new blanket.

Oh, and I almost forgot to share what I have been reading this week.  I purchased some books for the girls for end of the school year presents and of course mom's got to read them first to see if they're okay;)  So at night (in hiding) I have been reading The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace.  They are lovely stories and I hope my girls enjoy them as much as I do.

Also after seeing them mentioned on Elizabeth's blog I downloaded some books by Grace Livingston Hill onto my Kobo from Project: Gutenberg (This is a great site where you can get free ebooks of books that are in the public domain).  You can also find these books on Amazon for the Kindle.  I am currently reading Girl From Montana and finding it to be an enjoyable read.

 

Yarn Along & New Chicks

First of all I would like to say THANK YOU to all who stopped by my last yarn along post and helped me choose the layout for my Bernat Mystery Afghan CAL.  Layout #2 got the most votes and that is the layout I went with but I switched some of the colours around.  I am slowly working on seaming it together. 

In the mean time I did start work on a string bag.  I am making this to store our beach and sand toys in for trips to the beach this summer.  (I am being optimistic and hoping we actually get to the beach a few times this summer).  I haven't been reading many books lately (mostly just reading blog posts) but I am still reading bit and pieces from Kid Cooperation by Elizabeth Pantley.  She has a number of parenting books and I have enjoyed the ones I have read by her.

In other news look what came in the mail today!

Yes, our chicks arrived.

LK was very excited to see them.  All day today he kept asking to go check on the chicks.

Getting their first drink of water after their trip through the mail.

LT was quite fascinated with them as well.  They sure are cute for the first few days.

 

Yarn Along: Mystery Afghan

I am joining Ginny again this week for her Yarn Along.  I have not been reading much this week.  I think I have a bit of readers ADD as I have been reading bits and pieces from a variety of books. I am currently working my way through a parenting book (Kid Cooperation by Elizabeth Pantley), a religious book (Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI), and a dog training book (Dog Training for Kids by Carol Lea Benjamin).

I have finally finished all the motifs for the Bernat Mystery Afghan that I am working on.  I have been having a lot fun doing this mystery afghan crochet-a-long.  I am a little disappointed in the final project as it is really not my style.  However, when it is a mystery you never know what you will get and that is a big part of the fun of it.  Now comes my favorite part (not!) seaming it all together.  I have been playing with a few different layouts.  Which one do you like best?  (Sorry the pictures are not the best and some don't show the whole thing but hopefully you get the gist of it)

Layout #1

This is the official layout given us by the Bernat designers.

Layout #1 with squares switched.

This is the same layout just with the dark green bobble squares moved to the outside to break up some of the white.

Layout #2

This is a more square layout, that someone came up with at the Bernat forums.  I really like this one.

Layout #3

This one is pretty too.

So which one would you pick Layout 1, 2, or 3?

Yarn Along: Mystery Afgan and Funky Fingerless Gloves

Once again I am joining in with Ginny's yarn along.  Is it sad that I get excited for Wednesdays because I get to look at all the lovely yarn along posts?  I enjoy seeing what other people are making and reading.  I have a bunch of books on hold at the library after clicking through to a bunch of yarn along posts.  So thank you to all for sharing.  It is fun!

Here is what I've been working on:

This is clue two from the Bernat Mystery Afghan CAL. Isn't it pretty?  I think it would also look nice with the centre flower part done in a separate colour. I am enjoying doing this CAL.  It is keeping me motivated in my crochet, I am learning new skills, and I probably wouldn't have made this on my own.

I had to take a short break from the Mystery Afghan CAL to make a pair of these Funky Fingerless Gloves for Sky. She is going to be wearing them as a part of her figure skating costume this year. I still have to make a pair for Star and I'd better get on that since their skating carnival is next weekend. They are performing together and are really excited about their routine.

And this motif is Clue #3 in for the Mystery Afghan. I am falling a little behind as I still have 3 more of these to complete and Clue #4 was released today but we will get there.

I am reading Young Joan by Barbara Dana.  It is about Joan of Arc as a child.  I am about half way through it.  It is a little slow going but interesting so far.

Yarn Along: Mystery Afghan

Wow, I can't believe that a whole week has gone by and it is time once again for a yarn along.  This past weekend Star and Sky were in a skating festival in Weyburn and then we we spent the rest of the weekend with family.  The kids all enjoyed getting to play with their cousins and I was able to do some crocheting on the drive and while visiting.  I finished clue #1 for the Bernat Mystery Afghan CAL.  Here are the squares I made:

And of course LT had to get in on the picture taking.

Once again I forgot to take a picture of the book I am reading (distracted by that sweet smile I guess).  I have been continuing to read some light christian historical fiction.  This week I read Heart of Gold and The Shepherd's Voice by Robin Lee Hatcher.  Yes, they were very good which is why I got through two books in one week.

Yarn Along - Mini Pouches

Stopping in for a quick (and late) yarn along.  Not much crocheting happening here this week but I did make up a few of these mini-pouches to put some treats in for Valentine's day.  These are really quite small but were perfect for a couple of hair clips and Hershey kisses for my sweet girls on a sweet day.

I am very excited to be participating in the Bernat Mystery Afghan CAL (crochet-a-long).  It is my first time doing a CAL and it will be my first time making a large afghan.  I've started a few but never finished them.  Here's hoping that doing it as a CAL will keep be motivated to finish it.  The first clue came out today and I can't wait to get started but in the meantime here is the yarn I am using.

On the reading front I have been reading the Women of the West books by Janette Oke.  I have been borrowing the ebooks from the library to read on my Kobo. I think I first read these in  high school and I really enjoyed them.  There are few that I haven't read yet and I have been enjoying them all again.  It is light reading which is a perfect end to a busy day.  If you like christian or pioneer fiction be sure to  check them out. 

Yarn Along - tool set

Just popping in to do a quick yarn along post.  This week I am working on an amigurumi tool set for LK.  This is a quick and easy crochet project.  I have completed the hammer, screwdriver, and file.  I just have the pliers to finish up.

On the reading front I am continuing with The Friday Night Knitting Club series by Kate Jacobs.  I am currently reading Knit Two and am enjoying it.

Well that's all for this week.  The little ones (and the big ones) keep me busy so I don't have much time for reading or crocheting but I keep trying to sneak it in when I have a moment or two.